"You owe me, brother-in-law.” She emphasizes each word.
“How so?” I cross my arms over my chest.
“If it weren't for me, you would've never asked my sister to marry you that day. You probably wouldn't even be engaged right now.”
“Nah, that's not true,” I state, but she has a point. Her conversation sparked the idea to propose at the beach.
“It's kinda true...” Tatum interjects. “I mean, we would've gotten engaged eventually, I'm sure.”
I sigh. “Fine, I will agree to this on one condition.”
“Okay, what is it?”
Before I can respond, a door slams behind Oakley, and she groans loudly. "Great, he's back."
“Uh, who?”
"Finn," she says with disdain. "The inn-keepers grandson whose only life goal is to make mine miserable."
Tatum breaks out in a smile. “The one you're staying with while you're there?”
“Yep,” she hisses between her teeth, then leans in closer to the screen. “Please come rescue me.”
Her pathetic tone has us suppressing our laughter. Oakley was commissioned to do some paintings for a vast family farm for its one-hundredth-year celebration. They flew her out to Vermont and asked that she get to know the land and all that it has to offer so she could fully represent its spirit in her work. Getting hired was a major deal and could bring in future jobs. She and Tatum talked about it at length for weeks.
“Oh my God.” She rolls her eyes. “He just tossed his boots in the middle of the living room, then flung his shirt on the back of the couch. Oh, now he's digging through the fridge like a strung-out raccoon. Christ, they're raising Barbarians out here!”
This time we can’t hold back from laughing. It's her first time living out in the real world, and so far, it sounds like it hasn't been so kind to her.
“Just...give him a chance,” Tatum tries to sound supportive. “They’re culturally different up there.”
Her lame reasoning has me furrowing my brows. She glares as if to tell me to keep my lips shut.
“It's not just that he's a slob, he's a jerk and all-around rude host. He brought a pizza in last night and ate the entire thing! Didn't even offer me one slice.”
“Did you ask for one?” I inquire.
“No, but I shouldn't have to. It’s called manners. Clearly, something he doesn't have." She's scathes.
“I'm gonna take a bath. Maybe you should too. Try to relax,” Tatum suggests.
“I'm not soaking in that tub. It probably hasn't been cleaned since the day it was built, which was a hundred years ago. How could anyone forget?” she sarcastically adds.
“Then take a walk. Blow off some steam,” I chime in.
She exhales slowly. “Shoving my fist in his mouth would help with that.”
"Okay, well, don't do that. This is a great job opportunity, so don't mess it up just because you want to bang the asshole who won't give you the time of day."
Her jaw drops. “That is so not true. He'd probably give me rabies.”
“Oakley Jane! Be nice.”
“Fine.” She rolls her eyes.
“Bye, sis,” I sing-song.
“Wait, don't think I forgot about our agreement! Magnolia Rayne has an adorable ring to it, don't ya think?”
“Oh hell no. We're not naming our child after a flower.” I turn to Tatum for backup, but she's pretending she doesn't see me. “Babe?”
She finally faces me and chews her bottom lip. “I kinda like it.”
“Yes! I win!” Oakley cheers.
“We'll talk later,” Tatum tells her, then quickly says goodbye.
“You can't be serious.”
Tatum shrugs innocently. “We could call her Maggie.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, knowing I'll give in to whatever Tatum wants. "Alright, if that's what you really want, then I'm in."
“Seriously! You're the most amazing husband ever.” She jumps into my lap and crashes her mouth to mine.
“Whatever we name her won't change how precious and amazing she'll be. She's going to be the perfect mixture of you and me.”
“Yeah,” she agrees. “The heart of us.”